The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (HKFI) welcomes a range of initiatives with relevance to the insurance industry announced today (16 September 2026) by the Chief Executive in the HKSAR’s First Five-Year Plan and 2026 Policy Address.

We acknowledge that many of HKFI's key recommendations have been reflected in the First Five-Year Plan and 2026 Policy Address. The measures announced by the Government are strongly aligned with our proposals, in particular the following moves:

• Reaffirming the Government's commitment to strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an International Risk Management Centre. Key initiatives include promoting insurance-linked securities, captive insurance, marine specialty risk pool, consolidating Hong Kong's strategic role as a regional and global catastrophe and specialty risk management hub.

• Stepping up efforts to attract long-term capital investment to the Northern Metropolis by lowering capital requirements for eligible infrastructure investments by year-end, thereby unlocking more insurance capital to support Hong Kong’s infrastructure projects, including the Northern Metropolis.

• Developing a "Finance + Maritime" and high value-added maritime services ecosystem by supporting diversified products related to maritime finance, insurance, trade finance and value-added services, expediting the development of protection and indemnity clubs and promoting maritime insurance training.

• Strengthening Hong Kong's position as an international reinsurance hub, including the introduction of a protected cell company (PCC) structure to lower the costs of establishing captive insurers and issuing insurance-linked securities.

• Supporting Mainland enterprises in going global through the development of specialty insurance solutions that help diversify and facilitate risk management.

• Expanding the availability of cross-boundary insurance products and enhancing connectivity between Hong Kong and Mainland insurance markets.

• Facilitating retirement and healthcare support across the GBA, such as expanded cross-boundary medical record sharing and retirement-related payment arrangements.

• Enhancing after-sales services for Hong Kong insurance policyholders in the GBA.

• Supporting the development of emerging industries, which will drive increasing demand for new specialised insurance, increasing the underwriting appetite to cover areas such as gold storage, commodity trading and green-fuel bunkering.

The HKFI is supportive of the Government’s measures and has established various dedicated task forces to look into the major topics, including the development of specialty insurance. As the representative body of the insurance industry, the HKFI will continue to work closely with the Government to advance these initiatives and further strengthen Hong Kong's position as an International Financial Centre and International Risk Management Centre.